BIO

Melissa Chang is a clinical exercise physiologist who joined Aspen Valley Hospital’s cardiopulmonary rehabilitation team in 2022. Melissa has worked in both cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation since graduating with a degree in kinesiology-applied exercise physiology in 2014 from Texas A&M University. She has two professional certifications: one as a clinical exercise physiologist with the American College of Sports Medicine, and the other as a cardiac rehabilitation professional with the American Association of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. Prior to joining the team at Aspen Valley Hospital, she lived and worked in Texas at St. David’s Healthcare in Austin and Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center in Houston. Her job in Houston included work with high-acuity patients recovering from heart failure as well as heart or lung transplants. Melissa became a cardiac rehabilitation therapist in part because her family has a history of heart disease, and she understands from her family experience how scary a new diagnosis or surgery can be for people. She is committed to helping patients develop a long-term commitment to their health by making it more enjoyable so that it becomes a part of their daily lives. Melissa says Aspen has always felt like a second home because she grew up visiting the area with her family and continued to vacation here as an adult. When she was looking for a new job, Aspen was the first place she looked. She loves swimming year-round at Glenwood Hot Springs, hiking, biking, camping in the summer, and plans to improve her skiing skills now that she lives so close to the slopes.